1 It all began with a book. The book was written by Robert Baden-Powell. Baden-Powell served in Africa with the British army. He wrote a manual for his regiment that was to help his fellow soldiers survive in the jungles of Africa. When he returned to England from his duty in Africa, he found that his manual had made it into the hands of many who were not serving in the army. Young English boys were finding the information to their liking.2 Throughout the world, young men were interested in outdoor living and survival skills. Groups had popped up in many different countries to accommodate the curiosity the young men had. An American named Ernest Thompson Seton started a group called the Woodcraft Indians. In 1902, he wrote a guidebook for his group called the Birch Bark Roll. Daniel Carter Beard was another American who believed that children should be educated in subjects that schools didn't have in their curriculum. All of these men worked to create a way for young people to learn about the world around them in a non-academic setting.3 Baden-Powell's book became so popular in England that he decided to rewrite it for boys. He called his new book Scouting for Boys. Boys all over England began reading about the skills they would need to survive in the world around them. Soon, the book crossed the Atlantic and became popular reading for American youth.